Premiere: Dwell in the Warm Embrace of Yoste’s “Arc” (stripped)

Among the incredible aspects of life’s beauty is its unwavering cyclical nature – something we experience in all aspects of existence, from our own trajectories to those of the stars that fill our skies. We watch daily as the sun and moon traverse our skies, only to repeat their dance the following day. When we take a step back to observe and appreciate the world, these phenomena truly feel amazing.

It is with that same awe and humility that 22-year-old Yoste (rhymes with lost) embraces the life and love around him in his latest release: His hauntingly dreamy song “Arc” captures life’s majesty in a breathtaking moment of reflective serenity.

Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering Yoste’s stripped-down performance of “Arc,” the breathtaking new single from a promising and fast-emerging Australian talent. The musical moniker for Brisbane singer/songwriter/producer Kurt Sines, Yoste prides himself in “making songs to stargaze to.”

Released February 2018 via Akira Records, “Arc” is the first single off Yoste’s forthcoming debut EP. Its dreamy quality and delicate textural elements – recalling the likes of Akira labelmate Haux, along with fellow Australians Dustin Tebbutt and Hayden Calnin – lends the song a dual quality of feeling somehow sweet and bittersweet at the same time. You can listen to it and bask in a certain warm glow, or wallow in a darker, intimate anguish. That these two opposing emotions can coexist within the same song speaks to the brilliance of Yoste’s songwriting skills.

Yoste describes “Arc” as the fruitful result following months of creative frustration. “I was like a blocked stream, and suddenly I had to get it all out at once. It was tortuous but the result was cathartic, and resulted in ‘Arc’ coming together over the course of just one day.” Despite its vague lyrics and Yoste’s minimalist approach, “Arc” bears an emotional weight and depth that can be felt at all times.

Coming to rest, at great height,We’re formless, in the low light,In the warmth of your glow I’m alright,Though I wish I could
claw back some time,I could breathe in the colours so bright.

“Arc” – Yoste (music video still)

The song’s profound power is emphasized further in its stripped down version, which finds Yoste at home in Brisbane, accompanied by his sister on vocals while his father works the camera: “Recently I’ve become as enamoured with songs and their structure as much as the sounds used to make them,” Yoste tells Atwood Magazine. “I knew ‘Arc’ would work stripped back and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to record it with friends. My dad’s a cinematographer, so rather than hire a team we just spent the afternoon messing around, but the footage looks incredible. The majority of the footage is one take, becoming more and more hazy and dreamlike as the sun sets, while the lyrics describe being ‘formless in the low light.’ It gives me a real kick, it was all very natural and effortless.”

The stripped version finds the Sines family (and co.) relieving “Arc” of its synth pads and other electronically-manipulated sounds, swapping them out for acoustic guitars and the natural background scenery of birds chirping, wind humming and waves lapping at a water’s edge. We’re drawn closer than we’ve ever been to Yoste as we watch this trio lose themselves in song, blending small, subtle sounds together into an expansive and organic tapestry. Yoste’s sister, who also features (albeit to a lesser degree) in the original “Arc,” sings dazzling harmonies alongside her brother’s main melody, offering lilting vocal flourishes that add just the right touch to an already-wondrous song.

You may find in “Arc” a moment of grief, a moment of joy, or something else altogether. Yoste’s beautiful, stripped-down song invites us to dwell in its warm embrace, facilitating for each of us a unique spiritual and emotional journey that leaves us lost in our own trance-like fantasias.

Enjoy Yoste’s “Arc” exclusively on Atwood Magazine, and slip into a daydream with our latest artist to watch!

Mitch is the Editor-in-Chief of Atwood Magazine and a 2014 graduate from Tufts University, where he pursued his passions of music and psychology. He currently works at Universal Music Group in New York City. In his off hours, Mitch may be found songwriting, wandering about one of New York's many neighborhoods, or writing an article on your next favorite artist for Atwood. Mitch's words of wisdom to fellow musicians and music lovers are thus: Keep your eyes open and never stop exploring. No matter where you go, what you do or who you are with, you can always learn something new and inspire something amazing.
Say hi here: mitch[at]atwoodmagazine[dot]com

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